FOR most people, the Christmas period consists of clocking off a few days before the big day and then enjoying a well-earned respite until some time after New Year.

However there are some professions which cannot afford such a break.

This is what Christmas Day looks like at the Lakeland Wildlife Oasis, at Hale, where they have hungry mouths to feed.

This year head keeper Neil Cook will be working Christmas Day. He will be helped out by some other keepers who like to come in to volunteer their help to give the animals their Christmas treats and help each other get home to their dinner and families faster.

The zookeepers will arrive maybe a little later than the standard day - nothing beats a relaxing start to Christmas Day.

Then, they have to remember to shut the car park gates behind them and keep the doors locked - they do not want any disappointed visitors hoping for a Christmas zoo trip only to notice the front door is padlocked after they have parked up.

First on the list is trying to get all the standard daily husbandry and cleaning jobs done as quickly as possible while one keeper begins to prepare all the feeds for the day.

It's a big team effort and some joyful Christmas music helps get all the enclosures cleaned - as well as everyone being conscious to get home for their Christmas dinner with family.

When it comes to feeding all the animals, they always get a few extra special treats for their Christmas presents: some thin slices of banana for the primates; some cockroaches for the meerkats; and maybe even some raw turkey for the snow leopards.

These may be plated up like normal, or placed in pre-wrapped boxes - that are made up on Christmas Eve - so they get to experience the same excitement of unwrapping their gifts.

Once the zoo is clean and the animals are all fed, the whole team can head home to their presents and their Christmas dinners.